Globally Collaborative
Environmental Peace Gaming
with
Global University System
Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E.
Chairman of
GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A. (GLOSAS/USA)
Founder and Vice President for Technology & Coordination of
Global University System (GUS)
43-23 Colden Street
Flushing, NY 11355-3998 U.S.A.
Tel: +1-718-939-0928
E-mail: utsumi@columbia.edu
Web: http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/
Abstract
4
Global University
System
The
Global University System (GUS) headquartered at the
University of Tampere, Finland is a worldwide initiative to create
satellite/wireless telecommunications infrastructure and educational programs
for access to educational resources across national and cultural boundaries for
global peace.
The
GUS helps higher educational institutions in remote/rural areas of developing
countries to deploy broadband Internet in order for them to close the digital
divide and act as the knowledge center of their community for the eradication
of poverty and isolation.
The
GUS has task forces working in the major regions of the globe with partnerships
of higher education and healthcare institutions. Learners in these regions will be able to take their
courses, via advanced broadband Internet, from member institutions around the
world to receive a GUS degree.
These learners and their professors from participating institutions will
form a global forum for exchange of ideas and information and for conducting
collaborative research and development.
The aim of GUS is then to
achieve education and healthcare for all, anywhere, anytime and at any pace,
for global peace.
5
Use of Global Gaming
The purpose of an interactive gaming mechanism is to help find
appropriate alternative policies by establishing consensus among participating
parties. It is suggested here that
globally distributed computer simulation should be tested interactively with
the game player inserting pseudo-policy parameters into the models whenever
necessary, during the execution of simulation. This is called peace gaming/simulation (Utsumi, 1977) similar to war games practiced by
military strategists (Schram et al., 1971). With the advent of global broadband
Internet and standard interface protocols for interconnecting various
dispersed, dissimilar host computers, the potential exists for ensuring the
coordination of international efforts by providing more frequent communications
and an environment for shared development, enabling more credible simulation
study than was previously possible for playing peace games on the scale of
Pentagon war games (McLeod, 1987).
About
two decades ago, I proposed the development of global decision support system
with globally distributed interactive gaming simulation for global
socio-energy-economic system with the use of global data telecommunication
network (e.g., Internet nowadays).
Interconnection of dissimilar computers and models for peace gaming on
energy, resources and environmental (ERE) systems, architectures for linking
heterogeneous computers were outlined.
The reference also described communication procedures through
multi-party gaming simulation (Utsumi and DeVita, 1982).
I then examined the
application of the new development in the area of distributed systems and
Computer Aided Communication (CAC) to the analysis of the global sociological
and economical issues. Based on
the review of the past attempts and experiences with model acceptance and validation,
meaningful and credible simulation has to be implemented as a modeling network
composed of a large number of locally developed and verified models. No single model, developed by a local
group of experts has a chance for universal acceptance when it deals with
controversial and confrontation-prone area such as global resource allocation
and economical policies.
Yet, a comprehensive model of
global resources, ecology, and economy is needed for the rational management of
ecosystems and for economic cooperation between nations and economic blocks. As a solution to the dilemma between
the need for a unified model and a diversity of views and the special interests
of diverse groups, a public Open Modeling Network (OMN) was proposed which
would consist of models developed by local experts interconnected by global
Internet (Utsumi, et al., 1986).
The problem of managing the
variety of heterogeneous models, each operating locally, yet affected from time
to time by the results of similar runs at other locations, was compared to
Scheduling Algorithm problem which is required by all asynchronous distributed
systems consisting of the distributed communicating processors, in particular
the application of Time Warp algorithm (Jefferson, 1984) and the Virtual Time concept that allows organization of the information
exchange among dispersed, dissimilar computational resources with asynchronous
and parallel executions.
The GCEPG Project proposes to
utilize the semantic benefits of gaming simulation on a global scale to aid
decision makers in appreciating the impact of their decisions on interwoven
global problems, i.e., the construction of Globally Distributed Decision
Support System (GDDSS) with Distributed Computer Simulation Systems (DCSS), which
deals with coordination of the distributed sub-models and their experts via the
global Internet for global crisis and ecology management for plus sum,
peace game.
6
Global Grid Computing Network for GCEPG
Project
We face, however, a basic dilemma on the conduct of GCEPG
Project. Namely, decision-makers
must concern with the issues and matters of their constituents within their
jurisdictional boundaries. Even
though distributed simulation models we advocate may represent their concerns,
they will be confined within their boundaries and borders. On the other hand, climate simulation
cannot, by nature, regard the boundaries and borders, i.e., they have to be
continuous phenomena. Problems are
now too intertwined to be well resolved in a system consisting of
nation-states, in which citizens give their primary, and near exclusive,
loyalty to their own nation-state, rather than to the largely global community.
The best remedy and hope to cope with this modeling difficulties
stemming on the basic difference between discrete, boundary-oriented
socio-economic-environmental simulation and continuous climate simulation would
be to accomplish distributed computer simulation networks of both of them with
dispersed, inexpensive Beowulf
mini-super computers of cluster computing technology
in parallel fashion and both networks to be interlinked at appropriate
locations. The network of
dispersed mini-supercomputers (each of them with socio-economic-environmental
model of their localities) will work as a single simulation of global
economy. In a similar fashion,
another network of dispersed mini-supercomputers (each of them with climate
model of their region) will work as a single simulation of global climate. Both networks can be linked in such a
way that global socio-economic-environmental simulation will work closely
together with global climate simulation.
The decision-making parameters can directly be fed into nearby
mini-supercomputers for its regional socio-economic-environmental simulation
model, yet having effects on both global
simulation networks. This will be
a perfect democratic participatory of global simulation.
7
Possible Cooperation
with ELeGI Project
European Learning GRID Infrastructure Project (ELeGI),
which is now funded by the European Commission, aims to design and implement
advanced service-oriented Grid-based software architecture for learning. This project will develop a new
paradigm focused on knowledge construction using experiential based and
collaborative learning approaches in a contextualized, personalized and
ubiquitous way. This will replace
the current information transfer paradigm, which is based on content, and on
the key authoritative figure of the teacher who provides information.
GCEPG
project could be a complete and powerful demonstrator of ELeGI Project to show
(1) the advantages coming from using advanced technologies (i.e., GRID for
accessing to computing resources and collaboration environments) for supporting
simulations execution, data analysis, etc., and (2) simulations for learning
through the definition of innovative pedagogical models (i.e.,
socio-constructivist contextualized learning approach), and (3) to show all the
benefits coming from the harmonized and synergistic use of advanced
technologies together with innovative pedagogical models for learning (i.e.,
ELeGI).
8
Spin-off Benefits
With rapid advancement of computer simulation with GRID
computing network technology, such a
network of mini-supercomputers around the world can also be used by
researchers, even in developing countries to perform with their counterparts in
developed countries for joint collaborative researches with virtual reality and virtual laboratory of various
academic and engineering subjects.
They can also be used in micro-biology, meteorology, chemical molecular
study, DNA analysis, medicine/bioscience, 3D animation
of human anatomy, agriculture, commerce, finance, nanotechnology, joint
advanced engineering design, astronomy, etc. (Sterling,
2001).
In a sense, our GUS/UNESCO/UNITWIN Networking Chair project aims
to construct global scale knowledge forum with advanced Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), i.e., with the use of massive parallel
processors of globally distributed and yet interconnected mini-supercomputers
through global neural computer network.
This will be a paradigm shift of research and development in global scale, out of the so-called "Ivory Tower" approach.
This
will also become a core of a global knowledge forum for the exchange of ideas,
information, knowledge and joint research and development. This in
turn brings forth the possibility of creating new knowledge and wisdom by
global collaboration, and hence global peace. This will foster not only wisdom by collaborative
interaction on knowledge but also true friendship among people around the world
with mutual understanding and lasting peace.
9
Conclusions
Clearly,
our GCEPG Project is ambitious due to its scope and nature. Any one group, university, or national
government cannot achieve it. The
program will however need substantial collaborative contribution of ideas,
expertise, technology resources, and money from multiple sources. We invite those who value the vision of
this Globally Collaborative Environmental Peace Gaming to join us in this
urgently necessary project for human survival.
The Chinese proverb says, "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand!"
Another Chinese proverb says, "Knowledge gained with interaction becomes wisdom."
E-mail and multimedia World Wide Web of
Internet so far contributed significantly to the world society on the
dissemination of information. The
next phase of the Internet development with global neural (or GRID) computer
network should be the globally collaborative experiential learning and
constructive creation of wisdom with interactive actions on virtual reality
simulation models of joint global research and development projects on various
subjects mentioned above. This
will promote trustful friendship among youngsters around the world to realize
the Knowledge Society of the 21st century, and their collective
creativity will enlarge the size of pie for stakeholders to reach peaceful
win-win consequences. Another Chinese proverb says, "Acquiring knowledge is a joy, and sharing knowledge is an ultimate joy." I sincerely hope to foster such friendship among
the people of the world with our GUS and GCEPG projects for inevitable
emergence of a global civilization.
10 References (All URL below were retrieved on October
24, 2003.)
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Infrastructure, , Global Peace Through
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Press.
Climate
Change Science Program
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Jefferson, D. and Motro, A.
(1984), The Time Warp
Mechanism for Database Concurrency Control. Technical Report TR-84-302, January, Los Angeles: University of Southern
California.
Forrester, J. W. (1996). System Dynamics
and K-12 Teachers, May 30.
http://sysdyn.clexchange.org/people/jay-forrester.html
McLeod, J.,
(1987). TAK is TICKING, Simulation, December, pp. 273-4
The
New York Times, 2003
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Schram S, Marks H, Behrens W, Levin G, and McLeod J, et al. (1971). Macro-system simulation, Panel Discussion Session at the
1971 Summer Computer Simulation Conference (SCSC), 1972 SCSC Proceedings, pp. 1491-1502, Society
for Computer Simulation
Sterling, T., (2001). How to Build a Hyper Computer, Scientific American, July, Pages 38-45
Utsumi, T. (1977). Peace game. Simulation. November. pp. 135
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(Editor), Computer Networks and Simulation II (pp.
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Utsumi, T., Mikes, P. O., Rossman, P. (1986). Peace
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In S. Schoemaker (Editor), Computer Network and Simulation III, pp.
267-298, Amsterdam: Elsevier
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Utsumi, T., Varis, T., and Klemm, W. R.,
Editors (2003). Creating
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Dr Takeshi Utsumi is
the Founder and Vice President for Technology & Coordination
of GUS (Global University System) and the Chairman of
the GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.
(GLOSAS/USA). He is the 1994 Laureate of the Lord Perry Award
for Excellence in Distance Education.
His public services have included political work for deregulation of
global telecommunications and the use of e-mail and voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) through ARPANET, Telenet and Internet; helping extend American
university courses to developing countries; the conduct of innovative distance
teaching trials with "Global Lecture Hall" multipoint-to-multipoint
multimedia interactive videoconferences using hybrid technologies; as well as
lectures, consultation, and research in process control, management science, systems
science and engineering at the University of Michigan, the University of
Pennsylvania, M.I.T. and many other universities, governmental agencies, and
large firms in Japan and other countries. Among more than 150 related scientific papers and
books are presentations to the Summer Computer Simulation Conferences (which he
created and named) and the Society for Computer Simulation International. He is a member of various scientific
and professional groups, including the Chemists Club (New York, NY); Columbia
University Seminar on Computer, Man and Society (New York, NY); Fulbright
Association (Washington, D.C.).
Dr. Utsumi received his Ph.D. Ch.E. from Polytechnic University in New
York, M.S.Ch.E. from Montana State University, after study at the University of
Nebraska on a Fulbright scholarship.
His professional experiences in simulation and optimization of
petrochemical and refinery processes were at Mitsubishi Research Institute,
Tokyo; Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., Boston; Mobil Oil Corporation and
Shell Chemical Company, New York; and Asahi Chemical Industries, Inc., Tokyo.